What can I say about this book that hasn’t already been said? I absolutely adored it. The music, the wardrobes, the imagery of it all....I felt like I was transported back to a 1970s rock concert. And the storyline, while largely taking place in the 1970s, is still so relevant today. ⁣
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I alternated between my Kindle version and the audiobook which is narrated by a full cast, and looooved the audio so much that I occasionally had the audio playing while I was reading for a more immersive experience.

Overall, I highly recommend this book. Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the egalley of this book.

QUICK TAKE: if you're like me, you'll read the first couple chapters of OPAL & NEV and roll your eyes and think, "I liked it the first time when it was called DAISY JONES AND THE SIX". Keep going...TFROOAN is one million percent NOT Daisy Jones. It is it's own beautiful story about the rise and fall of an iconic interracial rock duo from the 1970s. Unlike Daisy Jones, this book focuses less on the relationship between our "will they or won't they" duo and focuses more on Opal Jewel and her struggles as a Black woman in America and in the music industry. I struggled a little bit connecting to this story at the beginning, but by the time I reached the inciting incident that is foreshadowed for most of the first half, I was completely captivated and couldn't put this one down. Absolutely stunning, right to the final page. Definite recommend, and oh yeah, check out the Spotify playlist while you're reading this one, helps set the mood!

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev is a book within a book - S. Sunny Shelton is writing the book on the history of Opal & Nev prior to their reunion "tour." I've seen the comparisons of this book to Daisy Jones & The Six, but having not read that one (yet), I had nothing similar to judge it by. Overall I enjoyed the book, but it was not without flaws. I seemed to fly through the first 40% and then struggled through the next 30%. Once I hit the 70% mark this one picked back up for me and I finished that last bit in one sitting. Could the middle 30% have been victim to my third trimester exhaustion? Possibly, but I'm not sure that is 100% to blame.

For me, the best part of the book was hearing all the different perspectives. With each character clearly called out before their section started, it was easy to keep track of. They all had their own unique voice though, and I probably would of been able to tell who was who without any headings. Virgil personally stole the show for me - I would read a book solely about him in a heartbeat.

While Shelton is obviously a very important piece to the puzzle, I really didn't care for her sections. The Editor's notes got longer as the book went on and it wasn't holding my interest. To me her story was the weak link and the main reason I can't give this book more than four stars. For her to drop unverified claims about Nev to Opal during Bob's funeral just didn't sit right with me. Nor did the fallout from the ordeal at Aural.

An entertaining read for sure, with many important messages that are still relevant in today's world. While by no means perfect, I'd still recommend this other readers.

I can’t help but compare this to Daisy Jones and the six, because of the format and the fact that it’s music related. Even so, it was its own thing and I enjoyed it. It started to drag for me a bit in the middle but picked back up towards the end. I loved the nostalgic feel and how everything tied in with current social issues.
Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the arc!

LOVED this book! For fans of Daisy Jones, this one did not disappoint! The interview style kept me interested from character to character and I loved how the different stories intertwined in the end. Will definitely be recommending to friends and read again in the future.

I love classic rock history, and very invested in anti-racism books.. The Final Revival of Opal and Nev is an amazing book, told in an oral history format with plenty of fourth wall-breaking moments. Opal is an outspoken Black woman from Detroit. Nev is a misfit redhead from England. Yet somehow as a rock/punk duo, they fit together. Through the oral history format, and Sunny’s first-person editorial notes (she’s writing a book about the duo, we learn about Opal and Nev’s backgrounds (along with Sunny’s) and how they came to know one another. The novel slowly builds up to the concert-slash-protest that changes all of their lives forever, and new allegations come to light in some of Sunny’s subsequent interviews, which forces Sunny to question everything.

Walton doesn’t shy away from race and how moving through the world as Black women affected both Opal and Sunny. Each character has such a distinct voice. Virgil was actually my favorite character. The novel flows beautifully. Dannie Walton is an outstanding author! Highly recommend!

4/5 stars.

I'll be honest, I was primarily inspired to pick this up due to its similarities to Daisy Jones & The Six. Both tell the story of a fictional rock n roll group that peaked during the 70s/80s time period. I really love the interview format of both of these books. However, this story is able to stand apart from Daisy Jones and hold its own ground in the genre.

Opal Jewel is very well-rounded as a character. She isn't afraid to fight for her beliefs, yet she also has flaws that make her feel more realistic as a human being. Nev is given more of a backseat role in the novel, and although I understand that this story is meant to be more focused on Opal, I would've liked to see a tiny bit more from Nev's POV.

In comparison to Daisy Jones, this book focuses a lot heavier on political elements, with the music acting more as a side plot. I really enjoyed and appreciated the important political conversations brought up in this story, but I also wish it had contained more details about the music creation process. But, I did love the footnotes that contained extra information on certain historical events or people at the end of each chapter.

In my opinion, the pacing for this story wasn't perfect. I feel that some of the chapters felt a bit long and would sometimes drag out my reading experience. But, I did read this physically, so maybe those sections translate better to an audio format since a lot of it is written in interview style. If I were to read this again, I think I would prefer consuming it as an audiobook.

Overall, I did enjoy this! If you're looking for more of a political story that is centered around a fictional rock n roll duo, then definitely pick this one up!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this book.

The Final Revival of Opal and Nev is the story of an alternative, pre-cursor to punk band from the 1970s, with the headlining stars having parted ways years earlier and now potentially coming back for a reunion tour. Told in interviews, this book is narrated by "Sunny" a journalist for a music magazine, but also the daughter of Opal's lover in the 70s who was killed in a riot at one of their shows.

This book beautifully works in themes of what it means to be a black woman in a white man's world, and how Opal made her way (but also, didn't.) I thought this aspect of the story was really compelling. We got to see the past with Opal's story, but also the future with Sunny and Opal's current fight to stay relevant, to prove themselves and show that they deserved a place in their world. As the main theme of this book, I thought it was incredibly powerful and resonated, especially the connections between then and now. It's this element of the story that keeps it different from Daisy Jones and the Six, though I think fans of that book will also enjoy Opal and Nev's story.

The story of Opal and Nev was interesting to pull the story along, although in some sections I did feel that it dragged. I did feel some distance from the characters as well, something just held me back from fully falling in love with them, and this may be the interview style or Sunny herself telling us how the interviewees were holding back. I did feel like this retracted from loving them as much as I wanted to. Further, since this book is written in interview style, I highly recommend the audiobook, which is read by a full cast. I read this book half print, half audiobook and I vastly preferred the story in an audio version- it really made this story come alive in a way that the print, although well-written, just didn't have. Overall, I highly recommend this story and think it appeals to a wide audience, with an enduring message of what it means to be a black woman in the entertainment industry.

This book was a stronger, longer, more tied up, race-infused version of Daisy Jones and the Six — in the best way. The book is written as a fictional oral history of Opal and Nev, a rock duo who came to prominence (infamy?) in the early 70s, all under the pretense that the journalist compiling the oral history is the daughter of Jimmy, Opal and Nevs original drummer who is killed during the aftermath of one of their performances. The interviews lead up to the fight that led to Jimmy’s death, and it seemed like that might be the climax of the book, but then we learn that maybe Nev isn’t exactly who he portrayed himself to be...

Overall I really enjoyed the book and thought there was great commentary on race (Black Coffee and other songs, the final issue with the fan and security at the revival concert), friendship (between Opal and Virgil), and so much more. And the book read so easily, this could effortlessly be translated into a podcast or some sort of movie. The characters were also well defined and really popped off the page. I found the book to be a little too long and at times a bit verbose, but overall found it to be a very creative and enjoyable book. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

While the narration style and the rock history of it all will definitely have you thinking about Daisy Jones and the Six. This is definitely a very different story. A story that seems to change and flow as the interview aspect of it develops. To me, this book wasn’t so much about Opal and Never but about the writer’s journey of discovery through the course of writing the story she set out to write and the story she ended up writing. (And by the writer I mean the character Sunny, not the actual author of the book.) This book also really dives into the part race played into how everything went for Nev and Opal. How a strong black woman can come out looking demanding for just asking for her fair share, meanwhile a white man can be basic and make mistakes and basically come out ruling the world. It did take me a bit to get into this in the beginning but I ended up really enjoying it.

I absolutely loved this book -- 70's rock and roll meets the civil rights movement. It had a bit of a slow start, but the gut-wrenching events, plot twists, and that powerful ending will stick with me for a very long time. This one was told in the journalistic oral history style that I am quickly becoming a huge fan of, and I think I will be trying out the full-cast audiobook as a reread. This book was moving and powerful, and will definitely make my list of top reads for 2021!

Fans of Daisy Jones and The Six will love this one. The narrative was so engrossing and I loved the vibrant storytelling. I’m always a sucker for books that have musical touches to them and this is one is top notch. Highly recommend!

I loved this book so much. At first, I thought, "oh like Daisy Jones and the Six" (which I liked a lot), but while the format is similar and both focus on the music industry, the book is very different. Spanning from the '60's through the Trump era, the book tells the story of Opal Jewel a black woman plucked from Detroit to partner with Nev Charles, a unique British singer. Mostly told through a series of interviews and the eyes of Sunny a journalist and daughter of Opal's lover, tragically killed in a racist indecent during a concert, the novel highlights the racism and misogyny that still runs though our society today. The writing is so crisp and the characters are well developed and realistic, I did not want this book to end.

Well written and an interesting story. However it felt like a rip off of Daisy Jones and the Six. From the same format to similar band drama, I felt like I read a better version of the same story previously. It was definitely interesting and I did enjoy Opal as a main character.

At first glance, the format of The Final Revival of Opal & Nev seems familiar: it tells the story of a fictional rock group through an oral history. I loved Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Daisy Jones and the Six, which rode the faux oral history format to bestsellerdom, so I was intrigued by Dawnie Walton’s new novel. (Walton has been working on the book for several years, according to the acknowledgments, so this is clearly a case of great minds thinking alike.)

It turns out Walton has created something entirely her own; The Final Revival of Opal & Nev is an incendiary work that takes its inspiration from the music of the early 70s but transforms it into a story that feels fresh and relevant in 2021. Neville “Nev” Charles, a struggling English singer-songwriter who lands in New York City, teams up with Opal Jewel, a Black woman from Detroit. The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” (featuring the powerful vocals of Merry Clayton) was a huge hit at the time, so Nev and his label figure he should find a soul singer to spice up his tunes.

The duo is far from an overnight success. Their debut album is greeted with indifference until they wind up on the bill at a concert which results in an Altamont-like riot after Opal defiles a Confederate flag belonging to the show’s headliners. They make one final record, and after the end of their collaboration, Nev goes on to have a massive career as a solo artist, making innocuous but catchy music in the style of Elton John or Billy Joel. Meanwhile, the very political Opal becomes a cult favorite but never approaches the success of her former musical partner. When the two are persuaded to reunite over 40 years after their last appearance together, a Black journalist, Sunny Curtis, decides to tell their story and discover what really happened during their brief but influential heyday.

The panoply of voices in The Final Revival of Opal & Nev is always pitch-perfect as Sunny, who is very much a part of this narrative, gathers recollections from Opal & Nev’s colleagues and friends, as well as from the duo themselves. This juicy novel feels so authentic that I kept having to remind myself that I couldn’t go to YouTube to listen to their old hits. This harmonious mix of rock ’n roll energy and social justice is a sure bet for my best-of-the-year list.

I wanted to love this book because it was being compared to Daisy Jones and The Six which I very unexpectedly loved. The premise of a Black woman and white man singing duo from the 1970's and the event that tore them apart sounded like an even better storyline than the Daisy Jones book. But this book didn't work for me. I just didn't connect to the writing to the point that reading it felt like work. There's definitely a good story here but it would have worked better if written in a different style or with different editing.

DNF at 11%. I believe this is a case of just being the wrong time for me and I may pick it up and try again in the future.

I love the concept - I am very drawn in to the setup with the story taking place as Opal and Nev are about to reunite for a tour and alternating timelines. But I’m just not in the place to read this right now and I’m struggling to stay tuned in. I’m not doing the story justice so I am going to put it down.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reading copy.

In The Final Revival of Opal & Nev, the titular characters are a 1970’s rock duo thrust into the spotlight when a photograph of them—snapped after their record label’s promotional concert turns violent—is featured in the New York Times.

S. Sunny Shelton, the character reporting on Opal and Nev’s upcoming reunion performance, has a complicated relationship with her subjects, enhancing the narrative.

The book explores the intersection of race and gender and asks whether even as history repeats and even though we can’t change the past, new information might lead to new outcomes.

Walton does an excellent job blending actual historical events and figures with her fictional characters. The book drags at points, but on the whole, it is compelling and well done.

While I enjoyed reading the ebook, I suspect this book really sings (pun intended) on audio.

A first novel for this author, but I’m sure not the last!!!
Written in an “ oral history format”- which, under normal circumstances, would be a complete “ turn off” for me.HOWEVER, the characters are so vivid, the story so compelling that I will confess to consulting “ wiki” to see if, in fact, I was really reading fiction.
The main characters are Opal Jewel and Nev Charles -he a struggling awkward Brit seeking musical fame in America she a young lonely Black American woman he discovers - his muse , if you will, stan amateur night audition in Detroit.
The book follows them through the 70s and their early struggles , their rise and fall and their final reunion concert in 2017.It is OPAL’s“ book” , and feminism and especially racism are dominant themes in the book.
These main characters are well drawn, but the true surprise, at least for me, is how amazingly well the minor characters leap off the page as real personalities-truly amazing for a first time author.They are so “ real” that I can tell you who would play them when they make the movie-OPAL is..... Tina Turner.
In short-a really really “good read”!!!!

The Final Revival of Opal & New is a debut novel by author Dawnie Walton that will stick with me for a long time! I was absolutely blown away by this novel and how real everything felt. After I finished I wanted nothing more than to be able to hop on Spotify and crank up the Opal & Nev tunes.

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev is a fictional oral history written as a series of interviews about a band in the 1970s that pushed the boundaries in music. Opal is a fiercely independent woman who is Afro-punk before it existed, and Nev is an awkward British songwriter who ventures to the United States to break into the music industry. He discovers Opal singing in Detroit with her sister Pearl, and the two team up to record at Rivington Records and become an Afro-Punk Rock sensation in NYC.

At one of their pivotal promotional shows a fatal riot breaks out that will forever change their lives and also serve as a reminder that repercussions are always harsher for women who stand up for themselves and their beliefs, especially Black women. Then, in 2016 as Opal and Nev consider a reunion, music journalist S. Sunny Shelton takes the opportunity to write an oral history about her idol, Opal Jewel.

The characters in this novel are some of the most realistic and well developed characters I’ve ever experienced. The way Walton weaves fiction and reality made me pause multiple times to hop online to search historical events and people. This novel is so much more than the history of a rock band, it’s a history of our times and the racism that still infects our society today. The decisions both Opal and Nev make and how it affects their careers as well as everyone around them is an example of how white privilege plays a pivotal role in our past and present. Walton doesn’t shy away from the realities of the 1970s as well as today when it comes to racism and what it means to be Black in America. I was frustrated, angry, awed, shocked, and moved while reading this novel.

The Final Revival of Opal and Nev is powerful, provocative, and will absolutely be in my top reads for 2021. Walton’s breakout novel has shot her up on my list of favorite authors, and I can’t wait to read what comes next.